Chapter Three
Shit, I have officially traded ice for heat.
To say it’s hot down here on this little island in the Bahamas would be an understatement.
It is stifling.
The humidity is off the charts too. I can’t wait to get to my beach house rental and blast the air-conditioning.
I hired a driver to pick me up at the airport, and I’m in his car now. The bad thing is, his cooling system is on the fritz.
To compensate, we have the windows down.
All of them.
Not that it’s helping much. The breeze blowing in is more like a blast from an oven than anything remotely refreshing.
“I am so sorry again, Mr. Thoma,” the driver says as he fidgets with the air-conditioning controls in the front of the car, trying to get them to work. “It was nice and cool in here this morning. I don’t know what’s wrong now.”
“No worries,” I say from the back seat with a wave of my hand and a bright smile. “I’m fine.”
Okay, I’m not.
It’s sweltering.
But there’s no need to be rude.
I guess Brock was right—I am too fucking nice.
Whatever.
At least I have on cargo shorts and a light tee. It was hot when I left Phoenix, so I dressed accordingly. That sure was a good call.
Thankfully, since it’s such a small island, the drive isn’t too long. Ten minutes in and we’re turning down a long driveway surrounded by lush greenery.
A beat later, we pull up to a beautiful one-story contemporary.
“Wow,” I murmur. “This is really nice.”
“One of the best properties on this island,” the driver assures me. “It was built just a few years ago. Oh, and since it’s out here on the east end all by itself, you’ll have lots of privacy.”
“That’s perfect,” I reply, since alone time is exactly what I’m looking for and why I’m here.
On top of everything else, that playoff loss really stung.
After we hop out of the car, the driver unloads my two suitcases from the trunk. Though they’re large, they’re all that I’ve got. I was careful not to overpack since there’s a laundry room on the premises that I can use.
My driver carries one bag up the walkway to the front entrance for me, and I take care of the other.
Once we reach the door, we set both bags on the wide step, and I say, “I’ve got it from here.”
Before he leaves, I take out my wallet and give him a hefty cash tip.
He thanks me profusely, then asks, “Are you sure you don’t need help carrying those bags in?”
“No, no,” I reply. “Thanks, but I’m good.”
I am too. The bedrooms, of which there are three, are all on the first floor.
At least, that’s what the photos indicated.
Guess it’s time to get in there and find out for myself, huh?
As the driver heads to his car, I key in the code I was given in an email after I paid what was owed for the summer.
After the door unlocks with a heavy click, I lift my bags, one in each hand, and nudge the door open with my shoulder.
Once I’m inside, I set the bags down on the parquet floor in the entry hall and take it all in.
Again, I am wowed.
There’s a large circular skylight at the top of the high ceiling, allowing just the right amount of sunlight in to illuminate the round marble entry area, as well as the spiral staircase that leads up to, from what I saw online, a second-floor deck and a sitting room.
Before I do anything else, I decide to take a quick little tour of this floor.
I go to the back first and check out the three large bedrooms, noting that all boast en suite full bathrooms and sliding glass doors that lead outside.
“Nice,” I murmur.
I head next to a state-of-the-art kitchen with lots of stainless steel. When I pop open the refrigerator and the pantry door, I’m pleasantly surprised to see everything is fully stocked.
That’s convenient.
There’s no need to go to the store for a while.
I wrap up with the dining area, then go through the entry hall again to reach the large living room, complete with what looks to be the latest entertainment equipment.
I note that there are giant floor-to-ceiling windows as well as sliding glass doors in the living room, just like there were in the three bedrooms.
There’s a stone path leading through the gardens in the back to where there’s a fairly substantially sized infinity pool and access to the private beach.
There are plush loungers and umbrellas on the patio by the pool, as well as down near the water.
It’s like the owners thought of everything a person could possibly need.
“Man, this is fucking sick,” I mutter under my breath. “I may never want to leave.”
I’m already thoroughly impressed and thrilled with this property. The house is spacious, but not overly large. I like that. I also approve of the subtle island motif and decor.
This is definitely what I told the driver—it’s perfect.
The only fault at the moment is that the air-conditioning is on but not blasting. It’s a little warm and slightly humid.
I can remedy that.
Once I grab the climate control remote, located on the coffee table in the living room, I lower the temperature setting to a nice and low sixty-seven.
With my tour complete and the house beginning to cool down already, I retrieve my bags from the entry area and place them inside the big walk-in closet in the master bedroom.
May as well choose the largest one since it’s only me, right?
Though it’s definitely more comfortable with the air running on high, I feel kind of gross from the flight down and the warm ride to the house.
I’m also a little tired.
A shower and a nap sound like a great plan for this afternoon. Later, I can unpack, and with the kitchen fully stocked as it is, I’ll just throw something together for dinner.
After I pull out a pair of navy boxer briefs from one of my bags, I strip down in the closet and pad off to the en suite bathroom.
The shower is next-level, man.
It’s one of those walk-in deals with multiple showerheads and a shelf loaded with various body washes, shampoos, and conditioners.
I utilize three that have a matching, somewhat spicy scent, like cinnamon or something, then I step out and grab a fluffy towel to use to dry off.
After I pull on my boxer briefs, I head to the living room.
I don’t want to fall into a deep sleep, as I’m planning on just a nap to refresh, so climbing into the big king-sized bed in the bedroom is not an option. It looks so comfortable that I may not wake up till tomorrow morning.
Chuckling at that thought, I reach the living room and stretch out on the sofa.
It’s so cool and comfy in here now that in less than five minutes, I’m dozing off.